What does the fox say?

What does the fox say? It’s a question many have asked and few can answer.

We all know that dogs say “woof” and cats go “meow”, but the elusive fox and its noises have managed to stay out of our collective consciousness … until now.

This video been floating around the Internet for about three weeks now and dares to answer that question—and give us so many more.

Why are men in suits wearing fox masks and doing synchronized dances in the middle of the forest? Do foxes really scat instead of make animal noises? Who did this amazing animation? How did they know we needed to know what sound a fox makes?

The originators behind this masterpiece are brothers and comedy artists Bård and Vegard Ylvisåker. The Norwegian duo have a variety show on TV Norge known as “I kveld med Ylvis,” similar to Lonely Island on “Saturday Night Live.” Just like The Lonely Island, they have other songs. “Stonehenge,” a winning ode to the British ruins, was their most famous until “The Fox.”

“This song is made for a TV show and is supposed to entertain a few Norwegians for three minutes — and that’s all,” said Bård Ylvisåker in a quote from the website ylvis.com. “It was done just a few days ago and we recently had a screening in our office. About 10 people watched — nobody laughed.”

“The Fox” was uploaded to YouTube on Sept. 3. As of Sept. 22, the video had over 47 million hits — that’s viral status right there. Radio stations have already started playing the song, and it’s currently at number 14 on iTunes’ Top Songs.

If you haven’t heard the song yet, your friends probably have. They may start yelping, “Ring ding ding ding ding ding ding” or “Hatee hatee hatee ho!” when you ask them about it. Be prepared to yelp along.

Keep an eye and an ear out for “The Fox” and Ylvis … though pretty soon, you won’t be able to escape them.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Arizona Daily Wildcat.